


Diamond in the Rough

by The_Impostor



Series: Angel's Wings [1]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/F, For Want of a Nail, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-02
Updated: 2014-11-02
Packaged: 2018-02-23 20:04:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,621
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2553881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Impostor/pseuds/The_Impostor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU where Hiroshi is caught weeks ahead of canon, and Asami enters the story earlier as well.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Winners and Losers

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this AU splits from canon about halfway through season 1, and diverts with an interception of an Equalist convoy carrying Future Industries tech...

The truck made a painful-sounding crunch as it collided with the steel web established by the police force.

"We need to discuss your purpose in leaving Republic City." Ordered Lin, emerging from the alley, her forces in tow, and the two figures driving the car attempting to sprint off, only to be caught by metal vines.

"What part of 'we need to discuss your purpose in leaving Republic City' was so unclear?" Asked Lin, growing annoyed.

"We'll never talk!" Declared one of the duo.

"In that case, we will discuss this further at the station, book them and search the vehicle." Instructed Lin, as the two captives were taken into the police car.

"Chief, you may want to look at this." Said the subordinate assigned to the search, as he emerged with a crate of shock gloves, and a slip of paper stuck in it. "These are those electrical weapons the Equalist foot soldiers use, and here's this confirmation of order." He expanded, showing Lin the paper. "It's signed by Hiroshi Sato, of Future Industries; he seems to be supplying The Equalists!"

"Excellent work, we have a major lead, place Hiroshi Sato under house arrest, and-"

"I'll take things over from here." Announced Tarrok, from behind Lin.

"You are not authorized to enforce this city's laws, the police will take care of this." Lin firmly stated.

"The police will indeed, but without your aid, I have used all of my emergency powers to install myself as Republic City's primary authority until further notice; with skilled and influential figures such as Hiroshi Sato working with The Equalists, we can't afford to risk anyone escaping punishment through due process, and your bleeding heart may cost us this war." Countered Tarrlok.

Lin was speechless as a good number of her forces followed Tarrlok toward the wealthy neighborhood where the Sato Estate was located.

* * *

"Huh?" Muttered Asami, as she was jolted awake from bright light flooding into her room; was it morning already? Asami, still groggy from her sleep, climbed out of bed, and began getting ready for a typical day in her life; perhaps she'd work on that airship design she'd been letting sit for awhile. As she pulled on her normal brown jacket however, she was proven very wrong.

"Freeze!" Shouted a metalbender as he crashed through the window. "You're under arrest for treason!"

"Treason?" Questioned Asami. She saw it now; that was a search light, and the police were raiding her home.

"Your father has been aiding and abetting The Equalist Movement, and as someone inextricably tied with him, Tarrlok has ordered you be put under arrest as well."

"I'm innocent! Just because he's my father doesn't mean I'm his loyal servant!" Asami protested.

"Tell it to Tarrlok." Muttered the officer, as he shot out his vines of steel, in an attempt to ensnare the heiress.

Asami jumped over the metal and kicked off of the officer, who lay on the ground unconscious as a result, while also launching Asami out of the room. "What's going on? Is my father really an Equalist?" Asami thought to herself as she ran down the corridors of the mansion, hoping to find an area that wasn't blockaded.

"Asami!" Shouted a voice from the other end of the hall, whom Asami recognized as belonging to Hiroshi.

"What is this? Are you one of them?!" Demanded Asami, forcing back tears.

Hiroshi nodded. "Amon can create a better world, free from the violent chaos called bending! Your mother would be proud Asami; and so should you! Join me, and we can escape together, and the better world that awaits us all will soon become real!"

Asami gave her father's words some careful consideration; was it worth it? Was bending a stain on society? No, The actions of a few doesn't justify the wholesale persecution of those with only a superficial connection to these crimes, Tarrlok himself had more than proved that. Asami had made up her mind.

"Take this." Said Hiroshi, handing her a shock glove.

Asami took it, and proceeded to shock Hiroshi. "Mother would be ashamed!" She cried as she continued her search for a way of escape. After numerous failures, she settled on a window close enough to a tree branch, and promptly leaped onto said tree. "So far, so good." Asami muttered as she made her way down the tree and started looking for an unguarded exit. Unfortunately for Asami, she was suddenly, inexplicably frozen in place. "Bloodbending? But the moon..." Asami managed through the shock.

"Not so fast, Equalist!" Shouted a voice belonging to a man Asami couldn't see through the darkness. "What do you know about Amon?"

"N-nothing! I'm not one of them!" Asami protested.

"Like hell!" Insisted the man as he tightened his grip on Asami's blood. "All of you nonbenders are the same! Now tell me what you know about Amon, and I'll be more lenient concerning your sentence."

"I don't know anything!" Shouted Asami, against the rising pain.

"Tarrlok sir!" A metalbender shouted to the man, distracting him for long enough for Asami to break free and run. In her brief window of opportunity, Asami managed to escape the property and dart around the area, desperately trying to lose the officers storming the area. "Keep running, find someone to help." Asami repeated to herself as she ran. After several minutes, Asami felt confident that she had eluded the misguided men and women of the law, and ventured out, gingerly, into the main street. She didn't recognize this particular part of town, but she got the impression it was a bit... derelict. Far from the posh surroundings that had defined most of her 18 years. These buildings looked as though they hadn't been used in a long time, and electric lighting was few and far between. "Well, it isn't much, but I've got to hide..." The ex-heiress muttered, searching for a place to stay for the night. Eventually, she settled on a seedy looking tavern that had a sign posted outside advertising rooms. She entered the building, and found herself inside a dark, dank, and rather foul smelling establishment dotted with tables occupied by a grungy looking collective of thugs. Treading carefully, Asami made her way to the man at the bar. "Do you have a room?" Asked Asami, nervously, and starting to lose her composure.

"Ya got cash?" The man responded.

Asami froze, in the confusion, she had forgotten about money, desperately, she searched her pockets and found her wallet, by some miracle. She must have picked it up when she thought it was morning. Asami sighed with relief as she paid the fee. She was safe, at least for now.

* * *

The room was nothing much, just a small bed, a table, and a clock; the floor was uneven, and the stench from the bar below pervaded. Despite this, Asami didn't mind; after what she'd been through, a safe-ish place to sleep was more than enough. Without much thought, Asami climbed into the bed, and began to dream about a happy memory...

Flashback: 13 years ago.

"Mommy, why is that man shooting fire from his hands?" Asked a young Asami, sitting next to her mother on a park bench, watching a firebending street performer.

"He's a firebender honey." Explained her mother.

"Firebender?" Inquired Asami, a confused look dotting her eyes.

"You see, some people can control fire, water, earth, or air, and one special person, called The Avatar, can do it for all four." Mrs. Sato concisely explained.

"But why can't all of us do it? That isn't fair." Pouted Asami.

"Well, nonbenders-that's what we are-aren't out in the cold, we may lack a natural ability like that, but on the other hand, that gives us more time to do other things, and just because you can't bend doesn't make you useless, and with the right moves, you can stop a bender dead in their tracks."

"But wouldn't we be better off without benders? Then they couldn't use it to be mean to us." Continued Asami.

"No, the firebenders give us the energy for lights, and earthbenders can catch bad guys with their powers; it may not be perfect, but it works." Reassured the girl's mother.

"Oh, can we stop for ice cream?" Asked Asami, her mind quickly drifting to another place.

"Sure honey." Laughed Mrs. Sato.

End flashback.

* * *

Asami awoke in the room she had checked into and the memories flooded back. Her mother was still dead, and she was still a fugitive. "Damn you, Hiroshi Sato." Asami sobbed, not knowing what she should do. Reluctantly, she got out of the bed, and decided to venture out, perhaps to clear her name.

"Tarrlok is the problem, I just need to depose him... he's strong, I think I'll need a bit more than this shock glove" Asami thought to herself.

* * *

The day passed by and Asami still wandered the city without much progress to show for it; there was just no way for her to amass a following for eliminating Tarrlok, he was just too well liked on top of being strong. As she was walking near the pro bending arena, another thought struck her: where would she sleep; it'd be risky to return to the tavern she'd been at the previous night...

* * *

"And Avatar Korra wins the match for the Fire Ferrets!" Shiro declared, in reference to Korra smartly jabbing the opposing team's last player into the water below. It had been a stressful match; Korra was the only Fire Ferret standing, and had to take on two opponents at once, it was a close shave any way she sliced it.

* * *

The locker room soon filled with the sound of celebration from the brothers.

"You Korra, were awesome!" Complimented Bolin. "We were all like-"

"It really was amazing." Interrupted Mako.

"Hey guys, I'm a bit hyper from that, so I think I'm just gonna ride around on Naga for awhile, see you guys later." Decided Korra, leaving the vicinity to relieve her stress.

* * *

Riding on Naga felt good. For the first time in entirely too long, Korra's head felt clear; she was on top of the world. Nothing could- "Are you alright?!" Korra asked, nervously, as she inspected the woman that Naga had accidentally beaned with her back paw; none other than Asami Sato.


	2. Lost and Found

"Are you all right?" Asked Korra, horrified by the thought she may have just killed a random bystander.

"N-no, I have to hide!" Shouted Asami. "Tarrlok- Tarrlok will-" Asami fainted from the shock.

"Well, I suppose it's the least I can do..." Korra thought to herself, as she picked up Asami, and carried her back to Air Temple Island, Naga in tow.

* * *

"Korra, dare I ask what you are doing with an unconscious woman? Tenzin half asked, half demanded.

"Hey, I ran her over, helping her out is the least I can do." Explained Korra.

"Shouldn't you take her to a hospital?"

"Tarrlok is searching for her, and I doubt it's justified after his little coup of the city last night." Countered Korra.

"Very well, she may stay." Sighed Tenzin, as Korra ran up to her room, to accommodate

* * *

Through the night, Asami slept well, but was plagued by unpleasant dreams; the stress was fully reflected.

Dream sequence.

"Talk!" Ordered Tarrlok, tightening his grip on Asami's neck.

"I-I don't know anything about The Equalists!" Choked Asami, through tears and her impeded throat.

"We will glean what we need from your mind, girl." Resolved the councilman, as he tightened his grip.

"I've said everything I know!" Shouted Asami, as she woke from her fitful sleep, and saw a woman she recognized as The Avatar seated near the bed.

"Now I know you, you're Asami Sato; Tarrlok's so-called task force pegs you as a high level Equalist." Noted Korra. "Not that I buy that bullshit..."

"So you won't turn me in?" Asami asked Korra, a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

"Of course not, all Tarrlok's doing is making nonbenders hate benders more. I hate him as much as you."

"Well then, Miss Avatar, how about we put The Equalists on the back burner, and take care of Tarrlok first?" Offered Asami.

"I'm listening..." Agreed Korra.

"See, we're dealing with a powerful bloodbender who can use the power even without the full moon, and has no reservations about doing so, so we'll need a sizable force backing us, and even then, he has his own elite fighting force, so we'll need a good strategy beyond that, I'll have some fleshed out plans in a few days." Explained Asami.

"Sounds good, and I think we can recruit two more to our cause..." Agreed Korra.

* * *

"Are you sure we can trust someone with Equalist ties like that?" Asked Mako, skeptical of Asami's plans.

"Mako! She's been falsely accused of being and Equalist enough! Stop making it worse!" Reprimanded Korra, motioning to Asami, who looked about ready to run out of the room and burst into tears.

"Sorry..." Sighed Mako, who moved a few steps away, ashamed of himself.

"Well, I like this plan! Maybe Tarrlok IS Amon, and we can kill two fox falcons with one stone!" Declared Bolin.

"I wouldn't count on that, but it's good to see there's at least some appeal to this..." Muttered Asami.

"Hey, I'm in too! Whether or not I trust her, she's the best chance we have!" Interjected Mako.

"I feel like clearing my head, and I need a few things to start this little ploy. Korra, would you be willing to accompany me? There's strength in numbers after all." Asked Asami, a hopeful smile dotting her face.

"Sure Asami, I really think I'd like to get to know you better." Agreed Korra.

* * *

"So then he falls into the pool, and Shiki, our pet platypus dog thinks now is a good time to drop the newspaper at his master's feet!" Laughed Asami, feeling secure and comfortable for the first time since her escape.

"Bet your father was pissed off over that one!" Laughed Korra, already forming a strong bond with the former heiress.

"Well yeah, I got hit with no radio for a week, but it was worth it." Said Asami with a smirk. "And 8 years on, I like to think I'm a better strategist for those pranks I pulled."

"Well, I suppose we'll-" Korra was cut off by three Triple Threats emerging from the back alley.

"Ya know, Tarrlok was nice to give us a pardon in exchange for his dirty work, and here's one of his hit list, walking right into our hands..." Noted the earthbender.

"You'll have to kill me first!" Resolved Korra, assuming a fighting stance.

"Actually, I'm thinking this is my fight, I'll handle them." Interjected Asami, as she pulled on her shock glove, and ran at the triads.

"Wanna die, bitch?" Laughed the waterbender, as he shot a blade of ice at Asami, who promptly avoided it by simply shifting her weight, and letting it pass by her narrowly, from this, she sprang forward, and caught the waterbender in the arm. The latter fell to the ground from the shock.

"Why you little..." Shouted the group's firebender, who was silenced by an electrified punch to the face courtesy of Asami before he could even attempt an attack.

"Erm, I seem to have fucked it up..." Noted the earthbender, as he ran off.

"I'm sorry; I had this impression of you as kind of... prissy." Muttered Korra.

"Most people make that mistake." Laughed Asami. "My father had me trained in a variety of fighting styles; he said it was because an heiress was a prime target for kidnapping. It seems he was right..."

"Well anyway, I'm liking you more and more, but what is it you need exactly?"

"Just a radio transmitter, and some radio parts, phase one is recon, see. I need to figure out exactly what all of our enemies are up to." Explained Asami. "We won't have any chance of winning until we know our enemy."

* * *

"Well, here we are..." Muttered Korra, motioning Asami into the junkyard. "I figure it wouldn't be smart to be seen by shopkeepers and give away your position..."

"Good thinking, you're a good ally, and not just as The Avatar." Complimented Asami.

"I just hope we can find what we need..." Sighed Korra, suddenly realizing the flaw in assuming a junk pile would have functional objects.

"If there isn't I can probably find the parts to jury rig one." Reassured Asami.

* * *

"Success!" Declared Korra, as she and Asami entered Air Temple Island, with a radio transmitter, and a variety of spare parts.

"Now, to do a little tinkering." Agreed Asami.

* * *

"So, how does this work?" Asked Bolin, pointing at the radio as he and Mako entered Asami's newly assigned room/Team Avatar war room.

"This is a specialized radio that lets me tune into signals designed to elude the more commercial units, I only get the United Forces right now, but I'm looking into the police force and the Equalist frequencies." Explained Asami. "We need to know what Tarrlok and Amon are up to before we make any decisions about how to proceed, and this is the best way to go about that."

"Why are you tuned into the United Forces then?" Asked Mako.

"Once we have info, we'll go informant. They'll be as glad to know what their enemies are up to as we are." Continued Asami. "I'll get you guys in here when we get a breakthrough, and I'd recommend staying on Air Temple Island until we get a lead." She concluded, as Korra, Mako, and Bolin left to go about their normal business.

* * *

"Still nothing?" Asked Korra, coming into Asami's room after being granted permission.

"Yeah, Tarrlok and Amon seem to be pretty good at cloaking their signals..." Muttered Asami, tweaking the radio set, but still finding nothing. "I figure I'll eventually get lucky, after all, there are only so many frequencies for either of them to be using..."

"You should sleep, maybe you can figure something out with a fresh mind." Suggested Korra.

"True..." Conceded Asami as she turned the radio off, and ascended from her seat to face The Avatar." "Thank you for helping me get this setup together by the way, I really appreciate it.

"It's the least I could do after I ran you over while riding on Naga, don't worry about it." Responded Korra.

"Korra, it's funny to say, but running me over is probably the best thing that's happened to me in the past two days; if you'd missed me, I'd still be on the lam at best, and Tarrlok's prisoner at worst." Laughed Asami, as she pulled Korra into a friendly embrace.

* * *

Korra couldn't sleep; no matter what she tried, Asami dominated her thoughts. Simply put, over the admittedly brief period they'd bonded, she had fallen for the disgraced socialite head over heels. The well spoken and intelligent girl had escaped the confines of gender, and her charm had secured her place in Korra's heart. It was odd; she had never thought she'd fall for a  _girl_  and the experience brought back a distant memory.

Flashback: 13 years ago.

"Mommy, what does it mean to be in love?" A 4-year-old Korra asked her mother.

"Well dear, it means that you truly love someone to the point where you want to spend the rest of your life with them, and share experiences, possessions, and other things with them." Senna patiently explained.

"Oh, are you and daddy in love?" Korra continued.

"Yes dear, when you're sure you love someone, that's when you marry them."

"Can boys love boys and girls love girls too?" Asked Korra, still confused over the concept.

"Yes dear, it isn't as common, but it's possible. In any event, it's important to remember that these relationships are completely harmless and normal, and that you shouldn't hate people in love like that."

"I still don't understand being in love though..." Sighed Korra, very much bewildered.

"You will some day." Assured Senna.

End flashback.

Korra hadn't gotten it until only a few short weeks ago; no one, male or female struck her in that way, until she met Mako. For awhile, it seemed she'd found this intangible thing, but just as she'd won the first person to strike her fancy, someone new had come into her life, and made her feel the same way, only stronger. This time though, it was harder; she had no idea, and the odds were slim, if Asami would return her feelings, or even accept her as a friend if she knew. Life could be cruel, no doubt about that...


	3. Ball and Chain

"This is Shiro Shinobi!"

"Stay classy, Republic City."

"Thaaaaaaaanks for listening chiiillllldren!"

"Good night, Republic City, good night."

"Here's the 5-day forecast."

"SPIRITSDAMMIT! HOW MANY SIGNALS ARE THERE IN THIS CITY!?" Demanded Asami, hitting the table with the radio on it in frustration.

"Um, Asami-" Began Mako.

"Not now, I need to find the signals!" Declared Asami.

"Well wouldn't it be faster to raid an Equalist base and find the signal based on their radio?" Asked Korra, thinking she'd relate to Asami better than Mako.

"Well we can't exactly go knocking on doors and asking if they're Equalists... And it isn't like they have a recruiting center on a street corner next to the apothecary." Sighed Asami, notably less annoyed by Korra's input.

"Well, what if we told you we spotted a storefront a few blocks from here that Equalists have been seen coming in and out of all day?" Asked Bolin, a goofy grin on his face.

"Amazing! You guys are great!" Asami shouted, the joy plainly visible on her face.

"Thank Korra, she found it." Said Mako, sheepishly.

"Well then, I'd say its time to kick some Equalist ass!" Declared Asami.

"We really do work well together!" Laughed Korra, which made Asami blush; it seemed she was developing a bit of a crush on The Avatar, though she was a bit nervous about how Korra might react...

"Right, but we need a plan, I'll get one ready, meet me in the courtyard in two hours, get whatever you need in the meantime." Declared Asami, as she turned off her radio transmitter and got out some paper, as she began to formulate a working plan of attack.

* * *

"All right, here's the plan: Ideally, we won't even have to go in, if we can time it right, and with a little luck, we can just hijack a truck and get a radio from there, so that'll be plan A. If that fails, we go in and fight the Equalists until we find a radio either on one of them or somewhere in the base that's locked on to Amon's signal. At that point, if Mako and Bolin's team gets there first, Mako will shoot fire into the air, and we'll evacuate, the same applies to Korra and me; Korra will send up a fiery signal in that case. Just remember not to lose your partner, and make sure you can see all the Equalists attacking you; they'll have the advantage of numbers." Explained Asami.

"Good work, let's stake out the building and wait for a convoy." Agreed Mako.

"It's settled then, let's get down to business!" Declared Korra, as she ran to the building adjacent to the Equalist base, the rest of Team Avatar in tow.

* * *

"Damn it, when will an Equalist truck get here already!?" Sighed Korra, breaking her gaze on the empty street for what had felt like days but Asami insisted was only 3 hours.

"Korra, Tarrlok has this city on lockdown, The Equalists obviously won't want to go out any more than they have to." Interjected Mako.

"But it's annoying to just wait for hours for a truck that might not even exist!" Protested Bolin.

"Guys, it's here." Interrupted Asami, and sure enough, a Future Industries truck with a driver dressed in standard Equalist garb rolled up to the suspicious building.

"Hell yeah!" Shouted Korra, as she jumped 3 stories down, breaking her fall with a spike of earth that transitioned into a ramp; she rushed down into the street below, and launched a ball of fire at the truck, which did some fair damage to it, and prompted the four Equalist troopers inside the truck to vacate it, and come out to attack The Avatar.

"Just try!" Boasted Bolin as he, Mako, and Asami joined Korra on the road surface, ready to fight it out.

"You will soon be liberated from the tyranny of bending, and as for you,  _Miss Sato_ , your father will be interested to discuss the matter of fraternizing with benders." Noted their leader.

"Well, let's test that little theory of yours..." Groaned Asami, as she equipped her shock glove, and joined her compatriots on the charge against the four footsoldiers.

* * *

"Well, that didn't take long..." Muttered Korra, noting the four Equalists lying motionless on the ground, and opening the back of the truck. "I see plenty of crates, help me sift through them."

Mako and Bolin went to work looking through the crates, looking for a radio.

"Damn, I should have guessed; they took out the radio that's standard on this model, probably to cut down on weight." Sighed Asami, looking through the cockpit. "They were one step ahead; they went without a receiver  _in case_  they got caught."

"That's not our biggest problem..." Noted Mako, as a fairly sizable coalition of Equalists poured out of the building, seemingly present to investigate the dispatch of their comrades.

"Stop benders!" Shouted one of them, as they charged at Team Avatar.

"Guys! Think of something!" Shouted Bolin, as he bought time by pulling up the road in a semicircle around their opponents.

"Bolin, cut holes in your wall." Ordered Mako.

"Why would I do that?" Demanded Bolin, frankly a bit scared at the mob behind the wall.

"Just trust me. I've gotten both of us out of more than a few scrapes in the past, haven't I?" Mako said, his voice's magnitude increasing.

"Here goes..." Bolin half sighed, half gasped, as he pushed circles of earth into the Equalist troopers on the other side as hard as he could. Some were hit, but the overwhelming majority were still standing.

"Eat this!" Declared Mako, as he shot fire through one of the openings, damaging more than a few of the remaining foes.

"And here's my say!" Agreed Korra, as she bent water from the air, and shot the resulting liquid at high velocity through several of those holes. The high pressure water streams hit their targets dead on, and the last of the Equalist soldiers fell to the ground.

"Check if they have any receivers, and if not, prepare to fight some more." Said Asami, as Bolin brought enough of the wall down for Team Avatar to pass through, and proceeded to reseal it, and inserted the cuts of the road back into their proper place.

"None." Noted Korra.

"Well then, it looks as if we're going in."

* * *

The Equalist hideout was barely distinguishable from an ordinary office building, it was small, and featured a fair amount of cubicles, with an office, presumably for that branch's leader, toward the back of the room. There was a portable radio in the corner, and it was relaying a message from Amon.

"Attention all units: The absence of a convoy from our air base to an outpost near Air Temple Island has led us to believe that Tarrlok's forces have intercepted it; do not. I repeat do NOT panic; there was no sensitive material being carried on that convoy; and its crew are heroes to the cause. A moment of silence for them... The next broadcast will be on 104.9 MHz, this will not be repeated, so take note."

"Bingo!" Declared Asami, as she picked up the radio and tuned it to 104.9; nothing but static then, but no doubt Amon would be announcing his plans soon enough. "I'm such an idiot! I never thought he might be changing frequencies with each new broadcast!"

"So, we have a lead now?" Asked Korra, with Mako and Bolin in tow.

"Most certainly, now all that's left is to-" Asami and Korra were suddenly pinned to the floor, as Tarrlok emerged, police officers accompanying him.

"Well I must say I'm appalled, but not exactly surprised, Miss Avatar." Noted The Councilman, as he noticed the Sato Heiress near Korra.

"She isn't an Equalist..." Korra managed through the rising pressure.

"I've heard that one a million times, and I still believe it about as much as the first." Groaned Tarrlok, as he tightened His grip.

"Psssst, Mako, I have a plan." Whispered Bolin, too quiet for Tarrlok to hear, and not descript enough for the metalbenders to detect.

"What?" Mako asked, careful to follow Bolin's lead in speaking.

"These floors are stone, so I can get us out of here, I just need a diversion."

"Fuck you man!" Shouted Mako, as he shot lightning directly at Tarrlok, who materialized water from the air and froze it into ice to block it. Bolin capitalized on the distraction, and forced the stone under them to give way; Team Avatar was soon underground, and running, with Bolin blazing a path, and Korra immediately covering it.

"Tarrlok had metalbenders with him, so they're probably in hot pursuit." Noted Asami, nervously glancing back at their previous path, which was already fading thanks to Korra.

"That's a good point, time to surface!" Decided Bolin, as he began slowly but surely slanting his path upwards, until they resurfaced, outdoors, and thankfully away from any police. The area around them looked uncomfortably familiar to Asami, and it only took a quick glance around for her to realize why.

"This is my old neighborhood." Noted Asami. "That was the house I lived in until..." Asami was a bit downcast after that statement; some bad memories had resurfaced. "We should stay there, I'm positive my dad had some kind of bunker that we'd be safe from Tarrlok in."

"Okay, any clue where." Asked Korra.

"I have a pretty good theory..." Asami muttered.

* * *

"I get the feeling somewhere in this room leads to the bunker, look around for it." Ordered Asami, as they came into a mostly metal room with a workbench off to one side. "My dad's workshop would be the perfect place to hide equipment for The Equalists."

"What's a book doing in a room full of steelworking tools?" Mako wondered aloud as he picked it up, with pushed the pressure off of the switch. In a matter of seconds, a sizable chunk of the floor opened up, and a set of metal stairs leading down to a massive field of technology and maps.

"Nice work." Complimented Asami. "And it looks like even more than we needed; charts and tech The Equalists have that they haven't even unveiled yet. We just need to alert the United Forces."

"But first can we get some sleep? It's kinda late..." Asked Bolin, as he noticeably slumped.

"Sure, I'm pretty tired too." Laughed Asami.

* * *

Despite her fatigue, Asami couldn't sleep; she kept thinking of Korra. She was beginning to like Korra more than a friend, and she was nervous that Korra may not accept her even as a friend if she knew. The whole affair brought back a bad memory.

Flashback: 3 years ago.

"Absolutely not!" Declared Hiroshi, with a harshly disapproving look.

"Why? I'm not hurting anyone" Protested Asami.

"You must find someone of the opposite gender to carry on our family line." Explained Hiroshi.

"Why would that be? It isn't like the spirits will allow reincarnation of our ancestors into our descendants!" Argued Asami.

"This conversation is over; forget about this incident, and never speak of it again." Ordered Hiroshi.

End flashback.

Of course, Asami could never forget how her father berated and insulted her simply for her attraction to girls; it would never leave her memory, especially since Korra had become the target of her affections...


	4. Reach for the Sky

"Well, now that we're well rested, let's get to work looking for anything of use." Declared Asami.

"Right, do these big robot things count?" Asked Bolin.

"Sure, we obviously can't take one with us, but maybe a few key pieces will be just as good for the United Forces." Agreed Asami.

"Good, I found these maps, they look like something useful..." Korra said as she came into the dim light of the hatch of the bunker with a few papers in her hands.

"Something here about plans to attack Republic City, and only 3 days from now..." Noted Mako, as he brought the plans to Asami.

"Great work guys, now let's-"

"Freeze!" Shouted a metalbender, who was backed by several more. "Tarrlok sir, we've found the suspects." He announced through his radio.

"Looks like we won't be getting out the easy way." Sighed Korra, as fire spread over her arms.

"No, I got us into this, I'll get us out of it." Insisted Asami, as she climbed into one of the mecha tanks, and activated it.

"Dumb bitch, you think master earthbenders will even be slowed down by that!?" Laughed another of the metalbenders, as he ran at the rig, with his arms outstretched, prepared to twist the machine into a pretzel, yet was thoroughly compromised in his attempt to do so. "What, why the hell isn't it working!?" He gasped.

"Quick chemistry lesson: Metalbending works primarily because the metal itself is not being bent. Rather, the traces of earthen material inside the metal allow the most skilled of eartbenders to manipulate it, you obviously know that much."

"Of course..."

"However, certain metals, such as platinum, lack a sufficient amount of impurity for this to work, hence why my father coated these machines in platinum. In other words: Can't bend platinum, dumbass." Asami finished, using the mech to kick the attacker out of the way.

"Attack!" Another officer shouted, as the others converged upon Asami, shooting their vines at the mecha tank, covering it in steel.

"I'm going in!" Declared Korra.

"I said I have this!" Countered Asami, as she quickly gyrated the machine's arms, throwing the metalbenders out in all directions, and leaving a clear path out into the mansion proper.

"Good work." Bolin muttered.

"Let's get out of here before Tarrlok comes back." Asami declared, as they ran out of the basement.

* * *

"There you are. I see we've been busy. Destroying evidence are we? Such a crime shall be punished by the immediate execution of all four of you." Laughed Tarrlok.

"We have sensitive information, we're willing to share it." Asami said, showing the papers to Tarrlok.

"I have no reason to believe those are genuine, the only question that remains in my mind is who to execute first."

"Forget about this?" Asked Mako, as he fired a bolt of lightning at Tarrlok, who blocked it with a quick bit of water.

"Mine too!" Declared Korra, firing a blast of fire at the councilman in his moment of distraction.

"Now, let's go before he gets back up!" Shouted Korra, as the rest of Team Avatar followed her, in a mad dash through the alleys in hopes of escape.

* * *

"Okay, I think we lost them." Sighed Asami, thoroughly tired from both the trek and the stress.

"But where do we go now? Nowhere's safe at this point." Noted Mako.

"He's right, Air Temple Island, The Sato Estate, even the Pro-Bending Arena, Tarrlok has them all on lockdown." Noted Lin, who appeared behind them.

"Lin! I never thought I'd be this happy to run into you!" Said Korra, laughing nervously at the situation.

"I'm only here at all to scavenge a few records from the police station, then I was going to head back to the military camp the United Forces have set up a few miles from here." Explained Lin, showing a stack of papers. "The UF may be able to make use of it. And if you have any info on either Amon or Tarrlok, you may be advised to do the same. General Iroh is the man in charge of mobilizing this campaign, I'll take you to him."

"Well as fate would have it..." Muttered Asami.

"Good, we can make it out through the sewer system." Ordered Lin, as she opened up a manhole cover and Team Avatar followed her through it.

* * *

"Well, this is interesting news..." Noted Iroh, as he looked over the various schematics and memos from Hiroshi Sato's secret bunker. "So I see our bender-eschewing friends are planning an attack on the city in only a few short days. Good to know, we can at least prepare in the vaguest sense, perhaps wait for Tarrlok and Amon's forces to tire each other out... Still, it would be better to sabotage their invasion in the first place, Tarrlok's forces aren't that strong after all..."

"We may be able to help with that too." Asami said as she revealed a map she'd found in the hideout. "Here's a whole chart of the Equalist bases apart from Republic City. They seem to be spread out across the Earth Kingdom. Only one is within realistic distance to Republic City, however."

"Hm, that should be our target, and with this info about their flying machines we should have a good plan of attack: Airstrike with firebenders, and land based assault with earth, water, and nonbenders, with an emphasis on making the land uneven." Agreed Iroh. "I'll get the forces together, and we should be ready to launch the assault in two days."

"Thank you, general, finally, take this receiver, locked on to Amon's signal, it'll tell us anything else we need to know." Explained Asami.

"I'll also radio Commander Bumi, request that he begin the reconquest of Republic City, with some luck, we can liberate the whole country in a matter of hours. And I'd like you and The Avatar to accompany my campaign to the Equalist base. Your mechanical knowledge could prove quite useful in the sabotage portion of this assault. And The Avatar's strength and prowess, and her relevant knowledge of the Equalists should also prove useful, not to mention she seems to be able to match Amon in combat."

* * *

"The two of you are to accompany me on the way back to Republic City. We need all the hands we can get, and you seem to have what it takes." Lin told Mako and Bolin. "Tarrlok, being a bloodbender and whatnot, will be difficult to defeat without numbers. We need diversion."

"Cool! We get some real world experience! We can totally bill ourselves that way in the ring next season!" Exclaimed Bolin.

"Very well, not much else to do, I suppose." Agreed Mako.

* * *

The rest of the day passed with little incident, but as the night went on, Asami grew reckless, and left the tent she was assigned, one of the tents given to the UF's honored guests, in accordance with their military procedures and guidelines, for the commons, in hopes of clearing her mind. The days past had put a good bit of strain on her, and while she did her best to put on a brave face, she still faltered more than a little bit. As fate would have it, Korra too was overwhelmed with the stress of the past few days, and had left her tent at around the same time. Both of them made their way to the courtyard, saw the other, and both took a seat on the ground not far apart. Asami was the first to speak.

"So Korra, tomorrow is it, huh?" Said Asami, trying to cut what felt like a very tense atmosphere between her and The Avatar.

"I'm sorry for trying to interfere with your plan earlier." Sighed Korra, worried that Asami may still hold something of a grudge.

"No Korra, I'm sorry. I was reckless. Those things went to my head. I was lucky there, but I certainly couldn't have taken on Tarrlok without three benders, one of them being The Avatar, backing me up.

"Thanks. And also thank you for giving us a lead on Amon. Without you, our odds would be even worse than they are now."

"Funny, I've been in your gratitude this whole time, never would have thought you felt the same way." Noted Asami. The friendliness of the conversation at this point caused Asami to grow bolder and bolder with every progressive minute, and she decided to finally  _at long last_ make her play on The Beautiful Avatar. "So while we're making small talk, do you have anyone in your life, like a significant other?"

"Not really sure..." Sighed Korra, a wistful look dotting her face.

"How are you not sure? Sorry if that's more than you'd like to share..."

"No, it's fine, it's just that Mako and I were almost a thing for awhile. The tension was there, but nothing came of it. Anyways, now I like someone else, and I'm not entirely confident that my feelings are reciprocated.

"I know exactly how you feel Korra, I'm in the same place." Laughed Asami, inching a bit closer to Korra.

"Asami, can I trust you with something?" Asked Korra, figuring that the high stakes of the coming days made her confession seem moot.

"Sure Korra, I promise not to tell anyone." Agreed Asami.

"Well, see the person I like is... A girl." Confessed Korra, nervously, her hand slipping closer to Asami, so that the edge of her hand hit up against the edge of Asami's

"You told the right person, there's a girl I like too." Laughed Asami, who at that point decided fuck it and decided to just come out and say it. "Namely you."

Korra leaned toward Asami and kissed her passionately, which lasted a good 10 seconds before breaking from it, at which point both women broke into a nervous laughter.

"I was so nervous to say anything, the Fire Nation's culture emphasizes producing heirs, and that made me afraid to ever admit I liked other girls." Explained Asami, joyful tears forming in her eyes.

"The Water Tribe is okay with it, but I knew about the Fire Nation, hence my nervousness." Laughed Korra. "I'm glad I trusted you."

"Me too!" Asami joyfully declared as she rested herself on Korra.

* * *

"Well, we'd better get sleep, we need to prepare for the attack starting tomorrow." Decided Korra.

"I suppose so, but hey, I'm glad we're able to be together, if only for a day." Asami sobbed, both with joy for the events that had transpired, and sorrow over the thought that there was a good chance of them dying not long after.


	5. Angel's Wings

"The time has come, ready the zeppelins!" Ordered Iroh, as the final preparations were made.

"I've devised a plan to destroy the base, but we have to act quickly, and we're operating at zero hour, that is, we can't make any mistakes, the last broadcast indicated the attack will be launched in a few hours, so we have to keep them from launching it by then." Explained Asami, who was carrying a first aid box into one of the airships with Korra's help.

"Thank you for that, Miss Sato." Said Iroh.

"Remember, The Avatar and I will attack Amon directly, the rest of the force should focus on defeating Amon's soldiers, and then go for the man himself if you can." Instructed Asami.

"Don't forget, if you're a bender, fight Amon from a distance; he can't de-bend you unless you're in close." Reminded Korra.

"Is there anything else either of you would like to say?" Asked Iroh, taking the microphone from Korra.

"No, thank you." Korra and Asami agreed.

"Good, let's move out." Declared Iroh. Entering one of the airships.

* * *

"Ready Korra?" Asked Asami as the UF Zeppelin touched down just of the sights of the Equalist base. "As ready as I'll ever be..." Muttered Korra. Normally, she loved to fight, Amon was different though... Just the thought, the power to take away bending like that. It spoke to a very primal and very scared part of her psyche.

"If you're nervous, here's a little something for you, a courage boost." Responded Asami, before kissing Korra's cheek softly and proceeding to whisper words of reassurance into Korra's ear. "I believe in you, and together, we can beat Amon."

"I promise to win this for us!" Assured Korra, the confidence in her voice restored.

"Alright, to recount our plan: The first wave comes in, and distract the Equalist troops with long range attacks, while another force attacks from the air; they're in the ships overhead. Then another wave comes in and launch a second wave of attack, and hopefully overwhelms the Equalist forces on account of them being distracted. Finally, if you're an earthbender, work on making the ground uneven." Explained Asami. "Iroh's readying the air team, and Korra and I will be leading the ground team."

* * *

"Now, perhaps you two can prove yourselves useful." Sighed Lin, as she led Mako and Bolin, out from the camp, with several UF troops behind them. "United Forces Commander Bumi and his division will join us in the city, from there, we'll get a more coherent assignment."

"Hell yeah! I can't wait to see some real action!" Shouted Bolin.

"Don't get cocky, this is dangerous, we could get killed out there." Reprimanded Mako.

"But the spectacle! Just imagine Shiro Shinobi calling us 'The Battle-Tested, Victorious Fire Ferrets!'" Argued Bolin.

"We can worry about next season when we're done fighting for our lives, I'm sure this commander we're meeting will agree on that much." Sighed Mako.

* * *

"These are the two I discussed, they, as well as myself, know more about Tarrlok's methods than anyone else of whom I am aware, excepting, of course, Tarrlok himself and those loyal to him." Explained Lin.

"That's great! Looking forward to smacking these bastards around! More for my war stories!" Laughed Bumi.

"Awesome! Let's do something badass!" Agreed Bolin.

"I love your attitude son!" Shouted Bumi.

"Suck it Mako!" Laughed Bolin. "Did you not say something like 'this commander will agree with me'?"

"Well, whatever optimism I had is now thoroughly gone." Sighed Mako.

"Don't be so sure, Bumi may seem... carefree, but he's 100% ready to take Tarrlok on; he's one of the United Forces' best, don't ever forget that. Assured Lin. "In fact, he isn't far behind either of his siblings, Tenzin and Kya.

"You're Tenzin's brother!?" Shouted Bolin, in shock.

"Yeah, guess who got dad's looks!" Said Bumi, striking a cheesy pose.

"Speaking of Tenzin, we're probably looking at an invasion of Air Temple Island, seeing as it's the only area of Republic City not currently under Tarrlok's control." Noted Lin, desperate to establish some coherent thought in the chaos.

"Oh, right, I'll radio my little brother ASAP!" Agreed Bumi, as he picked up his receiver and searched for the appropriate signal.

* * *

"There's too many!" Cried an Equalist footsoldier, as the second wave of UF soldiers descended upon the battlefield, finally breaking the Equalist formation, and the aerial stones, blades of water, and flames began to become overwhelming. The earth beneath them cracked, and formed sharp crags, spearing some, and disrupting the balance of the rest, who quickly fell victim to stone, fire, ice, or swords.

"Alright, we have our chance." Noted Asami, as she and Korra bolted for the hangar, with two or three Equalist troopers on their tail, hoping to stop them.

"Nice try." Groaned Korra, as she effortlessly pushed them back with a solid wall of earth, allowing Korra and Asami to go after Amon himself.

"Lord Amon is not going to lose to either of you, and I'll make damn sure of this!" Declared The Lieutenant.

"I'll take this one, you go on Korra." Promised Asami.

* * *

Korra ran up the staircase near the entrance to the base, hoping to find Amon, while simultaneously entertaining the thought in the back of her mind that The Equalist Leader had already left. Made his escape. Something like that. Of course, Korra's luck was never that good.

"I see The Avatar has finally come to confront her natural enemy in his element. Pity, I was looking forward to end the Avatar's era, before the cameras of all the Republic City Papers, but this is certainly an adequate venue for your defeat.

"Big talk, put your money where your mouth is!" Shouted Korra, thoroughly fed up with Amon, and shooting fire from her fist, which veered several inches off target at the last second. "What the hell?" Korra responded with a block of stone fired at the masked man, but just as she was about to let it fly, she was pinned against the ground, unable to move as the block fell in front of her.

"B-bloodbender!?" Gasped Korra.

"Indeed, would you like my story recounted?" Laughed Amon, as he walked toward Korra, prepared to remove her bending.

* * *

"Well, that's the last of it, not even an army of badgermoles could break that!" Declared Bumi, proudly, as he sat back to admire the work he and his squadron had done. The fortification they'd built on the bridge to Air Temple Island was indeed a sight to behold, its steel spires and wooden ramparts would certainly serve their purpose and keep the island safe, and if Tarrlok made it through, the forces stationed there could hold him off, at least long enough to get the airbenders to safety.

"You should know that an entire police force worth of metalbenders are at Tarrlok's disposal, and I can say with certainty they'll not only be able to break through the wall, but use it as a weapon." Sighed Lin.

"Not to mention the firebenders will burn the scaffolding." Agreed Mako.

"Well then, you two can keep it under control right?" Asked Bumi, grasping at straws.

"Yes..." The two groaned in unison.

"Great! Then hop to it, look, they're coming!" Declared Bumi. Sure enough, Tarrlok's forces had begun to come across the bridge, with the man himself leading the charge.

"Take this!" Shouted Lin, as she used Bumi's wall as ammo, raining the metal scraps across the field of soldiers, made of a ragtag group of metalbenders, standard police, and bending triads. The scraps collided with the enemy lines, and ripped through several bodies; it seemed the average metalbender couldn't counter the sheer chi emanating from the former chief of metalbenders. "My spirits." Sighed Lin. "Those were good men, but what else could I do?" Lin thought, as she continued on her assault, now joined by Mako, Bolin, and UF troopers.

"Well, this certainly has been fun, but the time has come to end this pathetic display." Sighed Tarrlok, as he calmly walked up to the United Forces frontlines, countering any attack with quick blasts of water, bloodbending the UF soldiers out of the way, and using his powers to take control of Mako and Lin. "Now, let's see how you fare with two of your best now working for me!" Tarrlok laughed, as Bolin and Bumi got into position to fight Tarrlok's now-puppets.

* * *

"Miss Sato, you are a disgrace!" Shouted The Lieutenant, jumping into the air and bringing his baton down, aiming for Asami's head.

Asami ducked him, and punched him hard with her shock glove. "You don't understand! Our economy, our industry, our cultural identity. Bending has its share of all of those things; we can't just get rid of it, and even then, sooner or later, enough benders will be born that the same problems will arise; you can't catch all of them." Asami protested, as her opponent got back up, injured, but still very much in the fight.

"Just die!" He shouted, running at Asami with the baton outstretched, but not nearly quick enough. Asami sidestepped him easily, and kneed his side  _hard._ The Lieutenant fell unconscious to the ground.

"Now to help Korra." Sighed Asami, as she ran up the staircase.

* * *

"Now, the end has come for you. It was a valiant effort, but the fact of the matter is, your time is over, now all shall hail Amon!" Amon declared as he lowered his thumb, prepared to debend the essentially immobile Korra.

"Never!" Shouted Asami, as she shocked Amon in the back with a sharp jab from her gloved hand.

"Asami, he's a bloodbender!" Warned Korra, as Amon stood back up, and took hold of Asami with his bending powers.

"I suppose you can die first, The Avatar will be little concern alone..." Amon mused, as he tightened his grip on the former heiress, slowly choking her.

"Asami!" Korra shouted as she shot a blast of fire at Amon, which the latter avoided by forcing Korra's arm to the side.

"I can very well control two people at once, thank you very much." Sighed Amon, annoyed at Korra's attempt.

Korra couldn't move; she simply couldn't think of anything to do, all that clicked was that the girl who had stolen her heart was being choked to death by her mortal enemy, and before she knew what she was doing, found herself using the motions Tenzin taught her, and managed to, while Amon was distracted, hit him with a strong blast of air. "I-I unlocked airbending?" Korra wondered aloud, barely noticing Amon's counterattack until she fell to the ground once again, and Amon ran at her, ready to finish what he'd started.

"Not on my watch!" Ordered Asami, as she clocked Amon in the head with an electrified fist, sengin him to the ground, and forcing his mask off.

Korra drew water from the air and forced it around Amon, shackling him, and the Equalist Leader simply stared at her, giving Korra her first good look at her nemesis' face; he seemed very similar to Tarrlok.

* * *

Metal broke Bolin's boisterous stone barrier as Tarrlok forced Lin's arms. Bolin himself was struck once again, and against Mako, Bumi fared little better.

"You were truly fools." Muttered Tarrlok. "A bloodbender is certainly nothing to be trifled with."

"How do we get to him?" Moaned Bolin, narrowly avoiding another steel cable.

"I don't know! I didn't think he was that strong!" Protested Bumi.

Bolin started to say something, but was promptly floored by another cable.

"Just great! Now I have to take care of them alone!" Sighed Bumi, as he rushed in with his sword, hoping for purchase, but instead being struck by a blast of lightning thanks to Mako.

"This island is everything the once-proud Air Nation has left! You will not take it." Shouted Tenzin, who flew in on a glider, angrier than anyone had ever seen him. Tenzin launched a blast of air at the councilman, who staggered, but retained control of Lin and Mako, who launched a volley of their respective elements at Tenzin.

"It is a pity, such a man must die today, but there is no other option." Sighed Tarrlok, as Bumi rushed him with his sword again, only to be once again electrocuted.

Bolin got onto his hands and knees, taking advantage of Tarrlok's preoccupation with the two sons of Avatar Aang, and began to formulate a plan. It was simple enough, just throw Tarrlok with a quick earth wall, and go from there. He got to work, but just before the earth was to rise, he heard a shout in the distance, and while it didn't stop him, instead of raising a panel of earth, the yard's stone floor... melted?

"Wha-" Managed Tarrlok, before falling into the lava, and burning up.

"What was that?" Asked Lin, bewildered at what she'd just seen.

"I'm not really sure." Said Bolin.

* * *

"For services to the free world, all four of you will be honored with The United Republic's highest honor, the fourfold cross." Explained President Raiko, at the victory ceremony as he gave four medals, with green, red, blue, and white sections divided by two silver lines across the center and extending to the edge of the metal. "In addition, you are all granted the honorary rank of major in the United Forces, and may be given a division to come to your aid upon request. The thanks we owe you is immeasurable. With Tarrlok dead, and Amon, or rather Noatak in our custody, our great nightmare concludes."

* * *

After the ceremony, Asami decided it was high time she and Korra have a proper date, and so she took The Avatar to an opulent restaurant that had been a favorite of hers when she was younger.

"I still can't believe Amon and Tarrlok were brothers, and what happened to them is sad really, that'd drive anyone to that." Said Asami.

"I don't know..." Muttered Korra, from the adjacent seat, seemingly trying to say more, but deciding against it.

"What's got you so scared, Korra?" Asked Asami. She'd noticed an uneasiness in Korra's demeanor, and especially in her voice since Amon went down. "You don't regret breaking up with Mako, do you?" She teased.

"No! I worry... I'm worried I'll let you down, that I'll be a bad girlfriend; I don't understand this stuff, and I like you so much. I'm afraid I'll screw up." Korra sighed, downcast.

"Korra, let me tell you something. You've done more for me than I ever could have asked for. Thanks to you, Future Industries still has a chance. Thanks to you, I don't have to live in fear. Thanks to you, my future is bright. You're already the best girlfriend I could ask for, you don't have to worry." She promised.

Korra smiled. "That's so sweet..." She returned, pulling Asami in for a kiss, which lasted a fair bit of time (both of them lost count). "I love you." Korra confessed after the kiss.

"I love you too." Asami said with a smile.


End file.
